


Love labors on

by laterie



Series: Fking Neon Lights [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cyberpunk, Android Shiro, Cyberpunk, M/M, War Mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-22
Updated: 2018-07-22
Packaged: 2019-06-14 12:51:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15389151
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laterie/pseuds/laterie
Summary: “When the past is always with you, it may as well be present; and if it is present, it will be future as well.”― William Gibson, NeuromancerKeith can't let go and hedoesn't want to let go.Why should he? A broken heart feels so good. Or not?





	Love labors on

**Author's Note:**

> Listen, this is something I didn't plan to write when I started this fic. But the spell of writing is so strong and you can't force your brain. Just try it.

   Keith watched the sizeable digital billboard above his head. People were passing by him, while he was stubbornly looking at the _warning_ sign _manufacturing error. Please turn off your androids of class 558._ The red triangle blinked at him for the thousand time, but Keith hasn’t moved since he stopped by the plastic tree and like bewitched he focused his attention on the screen. _Turn them off._ Keith owned an android; it was not a class 558 or any other manufactured class. He made his android. It took him four and a half year to put the humanoid together. Every once a while he updated his software, add upgrades and waited until the final product was very similar to a human being. He spent four years on something that big hi-tech factories could spit out from the guts in few hours. But buildings and robots don’t have heart, they don’t _ask_ and don’t observe. It’s a simple task to make every day until the producing is done.

Keith couldn’t imagine turning off his android, his friend a man he made by his two hands. He has a name and clothes Keith bought him. He has his room, hobbies, and a favorite tv show. _How did you do that?_ Pidge slammed her fist on the wall. _Keith, you can’t do this! It’s illegal._ Keith didn’t listen. Deep and long grief has fueled his goal like a wind breathes life into an opened fire. And now Keith was staring at the sign. _Control is required. Every registered android has to be checked by the security software._ Yes, of course. Every registered android.

His earpiece vibrated. A call. Keith blinked, watering his sore and dry eyes. For a bit, his vision was blurred and blinded by the lines of the digital screen. Keith picked up the call by a gentle touch on the earpiece.

_“Keith, you motherfucker!”_

“I’ve seen it already.” Keith sighed.

“ _Listen,“_ Lance groaned, “ _You have to go and secure Shiro, alright? Explain to him that... explain to him what is needed!“_

“Why?“

 _“What do you mean by why? He’s out there! Alone! The CSG is everywhere. The manufacturing error is a huge thing. They scan every android in the street. If they see an unregistered android, you’re in trouble and Shiro...“_ Lance didn’t finish.

“I’ve made him. He doesn’t need to be registered.“

_“Keith... Keith, my boy, listen to me.“_

“Lance, you told me, a license is not required for a homemade android. Hunk checked it. Everything was alright.“

 _“No, listen to me for a sec!“_ Lance yelled in horror, _“this is something else! We uh we put together papers so you could be safe in a common security check, but this is something different! The papers are not verified. I told you, Keith! I told, you! You have selective memory!“_

“But you told me—“

_“It’s very illegal to create an android with such a credible human face. Do I have to repeat this to you every time?!”_

Keith took a deep breath. He looked at his hover car parked at the side of the road. The painting on the side, a roaring lion, was slowly draining out. The care saved his life multiple times. It was a gift from his husband who passed five years ago in the war in a distant galaxy. They never found his remains. Nothing but a letter for farewell.

“Lance, where are you now?” Keith jumped into his car.

_“I’m on the station, scanning the buildings for androids.”_

“Is someone in the West Hills?”

_“Hills? No! That’s like too far away. It’s in the woods. What the fuck is Shiro doing there?”_

Keith didn’t answer.

“ _Alright nevermind. Go there. It’s a safe spot for you two! And call me when you arrive!”_

Keith ended the call and pressed his right foot down. The car made it up above the people who turned their heads. Keith pushed the car down on the road and raced the long truck before they entered the tunnel.

**

When Keith reached the West wood, the sun was already setting down. The orange caramel melted on the sky and painted the crowns of trees. It was quiet. No siren, no drones, only the last piece of untouched nature preservation. In the early morning, when Keith announced in big letters that Shiro could go an on a road trip on his own, Shiro smiled in a way that brought memories back. The kitchen was still dark in the five in the morning, but Shiro, _god,_ the sunshine of Keith’s life made everything brighter.

_“How did you get permission for an android?”_

_“Shiro, what I’ve told you about calling yourself an android?”_

_“Sorry.”_

_“Besides, I work there, and I am only bringing my friend there. That’s all.”_

Keith recalled the morning talk with every detail. Shiro looked more humanely than any other android from the factories. The rules forbade to put a real human face on an android. _Humans and machines have to be separated._ And this is where Keith boldly crossed the line. The war took away his husband, so he created a friend with a human face. It was only fair. _Fair._

Fair.

Keith was angry. Furious and spiteful. Nothing was fair.

The oak trees surrounded the cabin like a ring. Keith personally checked every tree in this reservation once a month, and this cabin was his temporary home. Keith parked his car right next to the house. Right at that moment, the door opened, and Shiro stepped outside wearing Keith’s old red checkered shirt. A wave of a delicious smell immediately puzzled Keith’s sensed and for a moment he forgot why he actually came here at the first place.

“Shiro,” he smiled, “what happened?”

These weren’t the clothes in which Shiro left the house in the morning.

“I baked a cake, and I spilled some milk on myself.” Shiro’s smile was bright and cheerful. Keith caught himself skipping the reality. He poured lemonade on his brain and went on the summer heat wave like a careless teen. Shiro was freedom; he was the future government took from him.

“What would you say, if we stay here for a whole week?” Keith entered the living room with heart wildly bouncing in his chest.

“Is there something wrong?” Shiro asked, his face alarmed. “Did I do something—“

“No!” Keith turned to face Shiro, “of course not.” He smiled gently.

“Then why the week extension?”

“Because I have enough of the city. There are a highway reconstruction and people smell, just all that stupid things.” Keith waved his hand casually.

“People smell?” Shiro laughed.

Keith couldn’t resist the smile, the laugh, and the _voice_ of his dead husband so credibly built into the system. Sometimes Keith even forgot Shiro’s not alive. Of course, there were times when he had to renew the synthetic skin on Shiro’s body. At that time Keith turned off his friend and carefully checked every fold of his body. Every time Keith uncovered the polished titanium he tried to surpass his tears. The past ruined him every time he was forced to remember what happened to his husband. What happened to him and everything he had.

“Keith,” Shiro touched his shoulder, “tell me if something is wrong.”

 _Well,_ Keith thought.

“I didn’t bring my _Things that are fucked up_ list today, so,” Keith tried to smile, “let’s just leave our worries behind and eat the cake!”

Shiro watched him until Keith disappeared into the kitchen. “Don’t eat it! It’s hot!”

**

 Keith fell asleep. In his dream, Pidge yelled at him while Keith was breaking his workshop into pieces. _You can’t do this! This is sick!_ Shiro was lying on the table, partly covered by a white blanket. His face was already halfway done. What were the rules for someone who lost everything he had to people who created them? In his furiousness, the stubborn and wild heart wanted vengeance. In the dream, Pidge touched his shoulder, but when Keith turned to brush off her hand, it was his husband who was staring back.

_“You can’t blame everyone for my death.”_

_“They dragged you away!”_

_“Keith.”_

The smile put Keith’s knees on the ground. He gasped, feeling the real weight of his husband’s hand turned him into a wet cake. _Living a dream,_ Keith never had one of those. He stopped dreaming about his partner the moment a soldier knocked on his door and handed him a letter his husband wrote for him. Nothing else but a love letter. _I love you, and this is for you._ A ring fell on his opened palm while the envelope slowly sank on the autumn leaves.

 _“Takashi?”_ Keith pressed his face to his husband’s abdomen. _“Takashi!”_

_“Keith, let go. You have to let go.”_

Keith opened his eyes, forcing them up against the heaviness of the gravitation and the god’s willpower. Takashi’s face was empty. Everything vanished like grass under the snow blanket.

_“But, where did you put my face, my personality? Who wears my heart now?”_

Keith yelled, but he couldn’t hear himself. His lungs were expanding, breaking his ribcage and exploding. He fell on the floor and kicked off the invisible hands that were trying to drag him away. At the corner of his eye, he saw the dark silhouettes chopping Shiro into pieces by axes.

 _“Go fuck yourself! Fuck you!”_ He screamed at the men kicking violently.

Keith sat up swiftly. His chest was hammering, choking him in the throat like an invisible hand. He felt a pair of eyes on himself, and when he turned his head Shiro was sitting on the chair, fear painted on his face. He looked like a living doll. A book was hanging in his hand like a rosary. _What a saint, what an innocent creature and you spoiled it._ Keith heard an echo of his voice in his head.

“Shiro.”

“Keith, are you alright?” he asked carefully, “you had a nightmare and I… I didn’t know what to do. My safety protocols won’t let me…”

“Shiro,” Keith interrupted him, “No protocols, remember?”

“But, how can I tell you there’s something wrong with me if I can’t talk about it?”

_Right?_

“See, this is how you become a human.”

“I don’t understand.”

“You are so close to becoming a human.” Keith rubbed his eyes tiredly, “how long have I been sleeping??”

“Two hours.” Shiro placed the book on the nightstand and stood up. “I’ll bring you some water.”

Only now Keith felt the dryness of his lips. He licked them a leaned back on the couch. What a _fucking_ dream. He ghost-touched his shoulder and shivered. How can he forget the face of his husband when Shiro’s wearing it? It’s forever engraved on the metal. A human face on an android. Maybe the expression was not detailed, but Keith spent hours on the reconstruction of Takashi’s face. And when he needed every pore detailed, he picked one of his favorite close-in photographs. Pidge called him crazy, Lance insane and Hunk only cried.

One must do what he needs.

Keith took the white cup with painted owls from Shiro’s hand. The ceramic was cold on his fingers. When Keith siped the water, pieces of ice cubes touched his lips. Shiro always knew what he needed.

“What are you reading?” Keith asked enjoying the cold and fresh water.

“Neuromancer.”

“Really? That book is so old.” Keith stood up, cracking his neck in one slow motion.

“Was that a complain?” Shiro smirked.

“Young man watch your tone.”

“Never.”

Keith blinked. _Well,_ that was new. One leaves his android friend alone for a few hours, and he grows up into a punk. Shiro took the book from the table and hugged it tightly to his chest. _Emotions._

“Shiro, I—“ Keith cleared his throat before the impropriate words could fell from his mouth, “It’s a good book. It’s yours.”

“Thank you.”

Keith only nodded.

While Keith was studying the cake in the kitchen from all the sides, he remembered Hunk’s words: _part of his processor is organic. I honestly, look I, look I’ll be honest; I don’t know what will happen to him. Nobody ever made - needed such a complicated thing. I mean – you know what, I mean. I am just worried._

Of course, Keith knew. He spent years creating such a masterpiece. Even this was part of the reason why Keith didn’t want Shiro calling himself _an android._ He was more than that and in a touch of a real person. Though Keith crossed the line and the law, he never forgot that Shiro is his creation. Shiro was Shiro, and Takashi remained MIA in the Crab nebula. His husband was irrepressible. Keith carefully put himself on a pedestal: _Shiro is not a human, and he never will be._ But not even these measures could stop Pidge from massive protest in Keith’s living room: _look you black-haired cyber-punk, this is against nature! He’s dead, and you are crazy. You’re driving yourself mad. Stop, or I’ll fucking set your workplace into a fire!_

She did that.

She put his whole room into the fire, which ironically was extinguished by Shiro. The madness, _oh_ such a big madness. Keith only laughed. The one who would survive the blaze would be paradoxically Shiro. His titanium construction required the point of melting 1668°C. That night when Shiro was sitting next to him and was carefully observing his creator, Keith folded himself like a towel, hiding all the dirt in its folds. He didn’t want to Shiro see him like this crazy-insane madman with a screwdriver in his hand.

“I have a question.” Shiro broke the thread of Keith’s thoughts, “About my updates.”

“I can’t update you now, Shiro. I don’t have my equipment here.”

“Why can’t we do it online?”

Keith went silent.

“Well,” he grabbed the plate with his cake and joined Shiro by the table, “it’s dangerous for you to be online.”

“I know you’re scared of malware and hackers, but I’ll be careful. I can help you to create a powerful antivirus.”

“Shiro, we’ve talked about this.” Keith bit off from the raspberry cake. “You have to be registered for joining the web.”

“I’m not talking about the official cyber community for androids.”

Keith blinked shockingly, “oh _no no no._ ” Keith shook his head and laid the rest of the cake on his plate. “No.”

“Why not?” Shiro raised his look, following Keith as he started to walk around the table nervously.

“I don’t want you to browse on the web all the time.”

“I will be not. I want the updates to be faster and more effective.”

Keith leaned against the table right next to Shiro. He folded his arms on his chest and looked directly into Shiro’s grey eyes. He still could see the love of his husband in there. The sparkle and light.  

“Does this idea is coming from the Neuromancer book.”

“No.” Shiro pouted and looked away.

“Of course _not_.” Keith smiled and leaned closer, “we’ll get your updates as soon as we’re home.” He kissed Shiro’s temple and pulled away.

Keith took his plate and went to the living room to watch the news on the TV when Shiro called after him, the pout still audible in his voice: _can I have a cat?_

“No.”

“A dog?”

“No.”

“A turtle?”

“You can have fish.”

“Alright!” Shiro singsonged happily.  

**

Keith woke up due to the shaking of the windows. He heard the roaring of a helicopter and when he opened his eyes the white light from the aircraft blinded him. _Fuck._ He tossed the duvet aside. Half-naked and barefoot he ran off the bedroom to find Shiro. Keith burst into the guest room, but Shiro was already hiding behind the closet. The white light turned the dark room into an empty canvas.

“Stay there,” Keith whispered. “Do not move.”

Shiro closed his eyes and nodded. _Emotions._

“It’s going to be alright, trust me. I am here. Nothing’s gonna happen to you, Shiro.” Keith slightly raised his hand. “I am here.”

 _Liar._ He was shaking. Everything about Keith and the house vibrated. He wished he never put negative emotions into Shiro’s subsystems. He could’ve been free, fearless and happy _human._ Keith’s chest felt flat and boneless. He felt as if the light melted his bones and his organs. He watched Shiro’s face, his tightly closed eyes, and Keith couldn’t stop himself, he thought about the golden fish in a globe aquarium. About Shiro feeding and asking questions _why is it golden? Can I give her name Lulu?_ Whatever Shiro wanted was valid and precious, and Keith would burn the last tree to protect his creation.

“Playing God, Mr. Kogane?” Stern voice, the autocratical voice of a man who never saw a happy child face in his whole life, Keith thought.

“I am here.” Keith repeated with a smile, “ _I am here.”_

First time when Shiro tried to sleep, Keith cuddled him into soft blankets and kissed him on the lips. _Why such affection?_ Shiro was confused while Keith only smiled. He didn’t answer them. He never responded when Shiro asked why is Keith so sweet to him. Why does he bother to buy him new clothes and books? _Where is this coming from?_ Keith never truly explained what love means. Maybe he hoped that Shiro would learn by himself from every touch, kiss, and smile Keith gave him. Keith never forgot that the human heart couldn’t fit into any microchip.

“Keith!” The window broke, and the glass ended up shattered in pieces on the carpet.

“Don’t be scared! Everything’s going to be alright!” Keith called after Shiro when two men from Cybersecurity guard captured him by his arms and pulled him away from Shiro.

“Terminate it!” The captain gave his order.

“Why?” Shiro’s face was held against the wall. His grey eyes watched Keith in pure horror.

“Shiro!” Keith yelled, trying to free his arm, or at least move, run to Shiro and cover his fragile body. Meat could heal, but metal only breaks.

“Don’t do this!” Keith begged with tears in his eyes, “I beg you! Don’t do this! I’ll do everything! Just don’t _please!_ ”

The captain hesitated for a moment. He watched Keith’s desperate face covered in tears and fear like layers of dark paint.

“I’ll do anything!” Keith yelled in the roaring mess of a helicopter and static from the police transmitter. “ _anything.”_

“Well,” the captain smirked, “you can terminate it by yourself.”

Keith felt like punched in his throat. All the oxygen evaporated from his vein and left him to immobilize, staring in terror into the two grey eyes. The spark from Shiro was gone, and Keith begged the high heavens that Shiro would forget for a moment, just like Keith did, just _forget_ where they were and focus only at him. Shiro closed his eyes instead.

“Awkard.” Captain sighed and nodded at the two men.

“Shiro, Shiro, listen to me…” Keith begged, “look at me.”

Shiro hesitated, but he opened his eyes again. There were only seconds until the guards prepared the magnetic staff. A deadly weapon that could kill five years long life of a creation that was close to a human being. The short life of a _person_ that held Keith’s world in _his_ palms.

 “Do you remember the line from the book?” Keith’s voice was shaking, “ _If God made anything better, he kept it for himself.”_

A pair of strong arms pulled Shiro away from the wall. Keith held his breath, watching every move in a silent scream. Keith kicked like a wild beast, slowly falling to his knees when the magnetic stick touched Shiro’s nape and knocked him off against the wall.

“I love you,” Keith confessed through his tears.

Shiro’s eyes darkened, and his heavy metallic body fell on the carpet. The guardians let go of Keith in sympathy while the captain started yelling his orders. _Take him! Put him into irons and take him!_

On his knees, Keith touched Shiro’s cold face. His fingers ran through his lips and his nose. He gently closed Shiro's eyes and laid his head on his chest.

If the human heart were all Shiro was missing to become a human, then Keith would’ve given him his own. He would put that piece of a muscle into Shiro’s chest and _pretend._

 _You’re gonna end up with a broken heart again_ Pidge whispered that night when she tried to burn down Keith’s house together with Shiro. She pressed her forehead on Keith’s shoulder and sobbed. _Let go, Keith. Please let him go._


End file.
